# receive

/ɹəˈsiv/ (US) · /ɹɪsˈiːv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/receive
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 2. to suffer an injury

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to experience or get a physical injury.

For teachers: to incur or sustain physical damage or an injury.

- The player received a serious head injury during the final minutes of the game.
- The victim received multiple lacerations during the struggle, though medical examiners confirmed that none of the wounds were life-threatening.

### 3. to welcome guests

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to officially welcome or meet guests.

For teachers: to act as a host for guests or to formally admit someone into one's presence.

- The ambassador will receive the visitors in the main hall at noon.
- The royal family traditionally receives foreign dignitaries in the state drawing room before the commencement of the official banquet.

### 4. to pick up a signal

verb · CEFR B1

to pick up radio, television, or phone signals.

For teachers: to detect or pick up electromagnetic signals from a transmitter.

- We couldn't receive a clear radio signal because of the high mountains.
- The satellite was designed to receive low-frequency transmissions that are often blocked by the Earth's upper atmosphere.

### 5. to return a ball

verb · CEFR B2

to be the player who hits the ball back after a serve.

For teachers: to be in the designated position to take possession of or return a ball served by an opponent.

- She is much better at serving the ball than she is at receiving it.
- The champion struggled to receive the challenger's powerful left-handed serves throughout the first set of the match.

### 6. to take stolen goods

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to take or buy items that you know were stolen.

For teachers: to take possession of goods with the knowledge that they have been stolen.

- He was arrested for receiving stolen jewellery from the robbery.
- The defendant was charged with receiving stolen property after police discovered the missing electronics in his warehouse during a search of his warehouse.

## Examples

- I did not receive your email yesterday.
- The local hospital will receive a large donation from a private business to build a new wing.
- Under the terms of the agreement, the plaintiff is entitled to receive full compensation for any damages incurred during the construction process.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.